I drink between 5 and 10 L of water on non-workout days and more like 10-15 on workout days. This is not counting what goes into my protein shakes.
How does this compare to most of you other guys and gals?
I am lifting weights obviously on the workout days, and it IS the summer and I have a fairly active job. I work at a grocery store (without a/c) and am on my feet all day, walking around the store, stocking the shelves, carrying out groceries, plus other less physical tasks. Obviously some days are more physically taxing than others.
I am also eating very low carb to the point that I am in ketosis and can notice the acidosis at some points during the day (brown streaks on tongue occasionally, dry mouth, frequent urination).
I hit the bathroom about once every hour, sometimes I can go longer if I drink less water and take in a lot of salt but then I start feeling dehydrated.
I think I have an electrolyte imbalance (or an electrolyte deficiency maybe). I have tried to counter-act that by mixing sea salt, lemon juice, baking soda, potassium chloride, a trace mineral concentrate, or some combination of those into my water. I also try to get some of my water from natural mineral water during the day but those tend to be expensive.
I have not been entirely scientific but I have noticed some reactions:
sea salt = seems to relieve heart rate problem and sometimes improves erectile ability; on the down side it often leaves my mouth kind of dry, and sometimes seems to make my stomach bloated, possible cramps
lemon juice = leaves my mouth puckered and makes my stomach feel a bit uncomfortable sometimes, less problem when used in combination with salt
baking soda = when used in combination with salt and/or other items it seems to help retain water and keep my system less acidic; contributes to bloat too
potassium = upsets my stomach if doses are too high, causes muscle spasms, and tends to make me feel cold, seems to make my heart rate problem worse
trace minerals (high in magnesium) = seems to help with circulation, helps a little with the heart rate thing but not as much as salt, even small doses seems to upset my stomach and cause loose bowel movements
The sea salt seems to help the most but yet it seems to make me bloated sometimes and gives me the impression that I am dehydrated after drinking it, especially if I drink more than a coupe sips at a time.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Edit to Add:
It has occurred to me at times that perhaps I have too much sodium, that the reason the sea salt helps is because it retains some water and masks an imbalance of sodium to potassium. Yet when I have tried lowering sodium and upping potassium I seem to have problems (though I may not be toughing it out long enough (i.e. more than 3 or 4 days)).